Automatic pistol



Dec. 6, 1938. c G. PETTER AUTOMATIC PISTOL.

Filed March 2, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 6, 1938. Q PETTER 2,139,263

AUTOMATIC PISTOL Filed March 2, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.7

FIGS

Dec. 6, 1938.

C. G. PETTER AUTOMATIC PISTOL 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 2, 1935 o Q q Dec. 6, 1938. c. e. PETTER AUTOMATIC PISTOL Filed March 2, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 //v ea/fu Patented Dec. 6, 1938 UNITED STA ES rarer Application March 2 1935, Serial No. 9,117 In France March 9, 1934 3 Claims.

This invention relates to automatic pistols the breech of which is locked or not and in which the recoil effect, when the bullet leaves the barrel, acts on a breech block which, in its rearward displacement, extracts and ejects the case of the cartridge fired, and, in its return movement, extracts the upper cartridge from a magazine located in the handle of the pistol and inserts it in the chamber of the latter.

The invention is particularly adapted:

To simplify the assemblage and dismantling of the pistol for facilitating the maintenance of the same.

To allow, in case the percussion mechanism is damaged, of replacing the latter by another similar mechanism without having to send the pistol to the armory.

To increase the safety of the pistol when using it.

For that purpose, the improvements forming the subject-matter of the invention are mainly characterized by the following points applicable separately or according to any combinations:

(a) A lock-carrier is provided, containing a hammer and its releasing mechanism, which forms a unit to be inserted in the shell or frame of the pistol where it is retained in position by the breech block fitted on its slides.

In a convenient form of construction, the slides provided at the upper part of the shell for the sliding breech block are spaced at their rear part to provide a gap, and terminate in corresponding slides provided on the removable lock-carrier.

(b) The barrel is provided, in the manner known per se, with an eye under the explosion chamber, this eye being connected by a link to a fixed spindle on the shell, but, according to the invention, this fixed spindle is associated with that of the breech stop.

(0) The recuperator spring is permanently secured on its guide rod and stretched between a fixed flange and a sliding flange of said rod which is absolutely symmetrical relatively to its longitudinal axis and is pivoted on two links about the pin of the breech stop, so that it suifices to remove this pin for separating from the shell, a single unit constituted by the sliding breech block, the barrel, the recuperator spring and the guide rod.

(d) The charger or cartridge magazine hook is provided with a safety finger which looks the trigger when the magazine is removed, thus rendering any accident impossible in case a cartridge has been left in the barrel.

when the hammer is uncooked and pushes the firing pin towards the firing chamber, the point of the firing pin does not project into the firing space of the breech, so that a shock on the hammer when let down cannot cause the percussion of the cartridge in the explosion chamber; this safety device can be completed by a known arrangement comprising a rocking member provided with a fiat portion and which, for a definite angular position, prevents percussion if the hammer accidentally slips from the shooters thumb when he lets down said hammer.

(f) A safety catch is provided, in addition tothe full-cock catch, on the hammer, so that if the latter slips from the shooters thumb when it is being cocked, and before the full-cock catch is engaged by the safety hook, it is retained by the safety catch or hook and cannot come in contact with the firing pin.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description of a form of construction of an automatic pistol to which are simultaneously applied all the improvements forming the subject-matter of the invention.

This form of construction, given by way of example, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig, 1 is a general axial section of the pistol without the cartridge magazine.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section made according to the broken line A-BC-DE of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a general vertical section of the pistol, made according to the broken line FH-IJ of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross section made according to line CK of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section made according to L--M of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal horizontal section made according to line CP of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a rear view of the pistol, the hammer having struck the firing pin.

Fig. 8 is'a partial vertical section showing the magazine in action on the finger of the breech lock.

Fig. 9 is an elevation of the shell or frame of the firearm.

Fig. 10 is a general external elevation of the firearm.

Fig, 11 is a perspective view of a removable unit or lock.

As in known automatic pistols, the shell or frame is a steel block hollowed out by means of a milling cutter and comprises the handle I, the

members and 2i.

cradle 2 and the guides 3 for engagement by the sliding breech block.

In the form of construction under consideration, the slides 3 are spaced apart at their rear portion to form a gap and the shell is so recessed as to receive a lock-carrier unit 4. This lockcarrier comprises a frame provided with two side cheek or plate members 5 (Figs. 3 and 11) braced by a back wall 6. At their upper part the cheek members 5 are provided with a shoulder bearing against the edges I of the shell and a tongue E: forming an extension of the guides 3.

When the lock-carrier unit is inserted in the shell of the pistol for fitting between the wall 9 (Fig. i), the rear nose Ni and the side walls W (Fig, 9), it is secured in position by the sliding breech block or breech slide I 8 fitted on its slides. The cock or hammer II is arranged between the cheek members 5 of the lock-carrier unit; this cock H is pivoted about a fixed pin l2 and is pivotally connected at i2 on the eye of the guide rod l3 of a spring l5 stressed between the hook member ll of an auxiliary trigger member or sear l8 and a flange or nut l6 screwed on a screw-threaded portion of the end of the rod l3. The sear I8 is pivoted at I9 on the cheek members 5 and is provided with two nose shaped The nose 25 comes in contact with the cross member 22 of a yoke 23, the side branches 24 of which are guided in grooves or slides 25 of the shell. At its front part, the yoke 23 is provided with a boss 26 entering a groove 2'! of the trigger 28 movable about the pin 29 in a notch 30 of the shell, and within the trigger guard 23!. The boss 26 is pivoted onthe trigger at 32 and, between its front end and the bottom of a hole 33 of the trigger is stressed a spring 34 which, in the absence of any external action, operates for placing the trigger 28 and yoke 23 in the respective positions they occupy in the drawings (Fig. 1). By acting with the thumb of the hand holding the hammer H, on the edge H having a checkered surface, the hammer is moved down for securing it in the notch 35, the spring [5 being then stressed to the maximum extent. By pressing upon the trigger 2B, the cross member 22 of the yoke pushes back the nose20 of the sear'which pivots about the pin 59; the nose 2! having a hook shaped extremity moves out of the notch 35 and the hammer, being released, is raised by the expansion of the spring l5 and strikes upon the firing pin 865. The hammer is moved down into cocked position by the recoil of the sliding breech block it.

This rearward movement of the breech block, also acts to break the connection of the cross member and of the nose 20 of the sear, the yoke being lowered by the breech block. The scar i8 is thus rendered free and, being pushedupwardly by its spring I5, the hook shaped portion of the nose 2|. engages the notch 35 of the hammer to hold the latter in full cocked position.

The lock-carrier is moreover provided, on one of its upper edges, with an extension 31, pushed towards the median plane of the firearm for fitting into a longitudinal groove 38 (Fig; 3) of fork-piece 63 fitted between the links 66.

wall of the shell and in which respectively fit a boss 49 and a boss 4| rigid with a pin 45. The boss 48 carries a finger 42, and the boss 4| a finger 43. A spring 44 is stressed between the bottom 38', in the central perforation of which passes the pin 45, and a nut 46 screwed on the screw-threaded end 41 of the pin 45. When the magazine is removed, the finger 42 which constitutes a safety stop for the trigger 2B is retained within the notch 30 by the spring 44. The trigger 28 cannot be actuated when the magazine has been removed from the firearm even though a cartridge may remain in the firing chamber. When the magazine 48 is inserted in position and pushed in place in the handle of the firearm, it pushes back the boss 4| (Fig. 8), the finger 43 of which enters a notch 49 in the Wall of the magazine and locks the latter. In this locking position, the stop finger 42 is moved away from the path of the trigger which can then be actuated. For releasing the maga-. zine, it sufiices to firmly press upon the outer checkered face of the nut 46 for moving the finger 43 out of the way.

As for known automatic firearms, the handle is laterally recessed at 50 and closed by two side plates 5! made of wood or moulded material, having an outer checkered or striated face, and. secured by screws 52. In order to avoid any discontinuity below the back face 4 of the lockcarrier unit 4, a member 53 is secured in position between the side plates 54 .of the handle, by means of pins 55 the ends of which are flush with said plates. This preferably forms a stepped seat for the lower end of the unit below its back at 58 and at 59 so as to form an annular seat 60. The barrel 62 passes through a perforation 6| of the breech block Ill, and has tenons 63 on a portion of its periphery; which, in the position of rest, fit into corresponding inner grooves of the breech block I0. ,At the lower* part of the explosion chamber, the barrel is provided with a boss or depending lug 54 on which two links 65 are pivoted at 65. 'To the free ends of these two links is pivotally connected therod of the recoil or recuperator spring. In the ex-" ample illustrated, this rod is constituted by a guide tube 51, the ends of which are obturated, on the one hand, by means of a fork-piece 68 secured by pins 69 on the tube 61 and, on the other hand, by means of a head 10 which can freely pass through the perforation 59 of the breech block ID. The recuperator spring H is fitted on the tube 6'! and stressed between the flange 72 'of the fork-piece 68' and a washer 13 normally held by the head 10. r "3 The barrel being fitted in the breech block it, as shown in the drawings, the unit constituted by the recuperator spring H and its tubular rod 6? is easily placed in position with the washer;

13 pressed against the annular seat 60 and theg The breech block I8, containing the barrel and the recuperator mechanism, can be fitted on the slides 3 of the shell after the lock-carrier 4 has been placed in position at the rear part of the handlef f as explained above.

The pins 14 connecting the links 66 to the fork-piece 68 ensures the anchoring of the barrel on the shell and, thereby, it prevents when it is inposition, the removal of the breech block."75

of the shell.

For that purpose, the pin 14 is fitted in perforations 15 formed in the sides of the cradle 2 The breech block I0, with'the barrel and recuperator spring in position, being fitted on the slides 3 of the shell, the perforations 15 are caused to register with the superposed perforations formed in the fork-piece '68 and links 66, The pin '13 is inserted in said perforations and pushed by acting on the thumb piece 76; the finger or abutment Tl of the latter comes opposite the notch 18 of the shell (Fig. 10) in which it partially enters by abutting against the sliding breech block. In order to push the pin M in place, the breech block I0 is pulled upon by stressing the recuperator spring H, until a notch 79 of said breech block comes opposite the finger or abutment H and allows the latter to pass. The thumb piece member 16 is then pushed home against the side of the shell and bears against a stop or boss 80 through a ball 81 fitted in a perforation provided in the thumb piece member 16. A spring (not shown) acts on the ball, the extreme position of which is determined by this ball abutting against the beaded portion of the edges of the perforation. The ball fits in a notch provided in the boss 80, and by resiliently pressing on the latter, it locks the thumb piece member 16 and the pin 14 in the angular position shown in Fig. 10. On the other hand, the pin 14 can be removed only by moving the notch 19 opposite the finger 11; in this case, the said pin '14 can be easily removed, and the breech block Hi can also be removed with the barrel and recuperator mechanism.

As above explained, the tube 61 comprises the members 68 and 1B which are secured to the ends of said tube by pins or the like. The spring H is mounted on the tube 61 and held compressed between the base of the fork-piece 68 and a washer 13 which is adapted to slide freely on the tube, and when the tube is separated from the breech block Ii], it abuts against the front of the head H3. The diameter of this head is slightly larger than that of the tube on which the washer 13 is accurately adjusted. When the unit comprising tube 61, members 68 and 10, spring H and washer I3, is mounted in the firearm (see Fig. 1), the washer 13 bears on the annular seat 6!! of the movable breech block l0, and the member 68 is secured together with the links 56 of the barrel 62 to the body of the firearm by the pins 14. When the breech block I!) recoils, it compresses the spring 7| while pushing the washer 13 which slides on the tube held on the body of the firearm by the pin 14. Since the hole 59 has a diameter slightly larger than that of the tube, the breech block l0 slides freely along the tube 61 while compressing the spring, the reaction of which returns the breech block to its initial position. As in the known automatic pistols, the barrel 62 recoils at first with the breech block, whereupon, by the action of the links 66 pivoted about the fixed pin 14, the barrel is lowered rearwardly while disengaging the ribs 63 for permitting the breech block to recoil alone.

It is also obvious that when the pin 14 is withdrawn, the operator can remove in a single unit, the breech block it and the recoil spring II with the tube 61 and the parts connected and associated with it. The spring cannot be released, and therefore the operator need not take precautions against the sudden release of this spring during the dismantling of the above parts, as would be the case with the known firearms.

As long as the magazine contains cartridges, the thumb piece l6 is maintained in the angular position shown in Fig. ,10, the finger ll entering a notch 48 of the magazine. The sliding breech block 10 can freely effect its recoil movement and its return movement to normal position. But, when the last cartridge of the magazine has been inserted in the 'firing'chamber of the firearm, the cartridge elevator!!! (Fig. 8) of the magazine abuts, through a projection 82, against the finger H which it resiliently urges upwardly with the thumb piece 16 against the edge 83 of the breech block I0 (see Fig. 10). When the cartridge which is in the chamber of the firearm has been fired, the sliding breech block it) freely recoils by ejecting the fired cartridge case, and its return movement is stopped by engagement of the upwardly extending lug B4 in the notch 85. The operator is thus warned that the magazine is empty.

As in some known automatic pistols, the hammer strikes upon a firing pin 86 (Fig. 3)- guided in a bore of the sliding breech block l0 and subjected to the action of a rebounding spring 81.

The rod 86 of the firing pin passes through ai conduit 88 for firing the cartridge 89. A safety device, known per se, consists in a pin 90 journalled in the sliding breech block Hi and provided with an operating lever 9! which is acted upon by means of the thumb of the hand holding the firearm for causing the pin 90 to occupy two distinct angular positions. In one of these positions, the pin has a fiat portion 92 offset relatively to the front end of the firing pin which can then be struck by the hammer; in the other angular position, the hammer strikes upon the cylindrical periphery of the pin 90 and cannot reach the firing pin.

According to an important feature of the invention, the safe use of the pistol resides in the arrangement, hereinafter described, of the firing pin 86, hammer II and safety member 90.

The length of the firing pin 86 is such that, when the hammer is uncooked and pushes the striker towards the barrel, the point of the firing pin does not project into the firing space of the breech. A shock on the uncooked hammer cannot therefore cause the percussion of a cartridge placed in the chamber of the barrel.

Uncocking of the hammer is without danger owing to the fact that the safety member 90 is placed in the safety position; this safety member known per se prevents percussion if the hammer accidentally slips from the operators thumb when he lets it down.

The hammer, when being cocked, cannot cause an accidental percussion, if the operators thumb allows it to slip before the nose member 2| engages with the full-cock notch 35; in this case, in fact, the safety catch or notch 35 of the hammer is engaged by the nose 2| and the hammer cannot come in contact with the firing pin.

Fig. 6 shows the extractor hook 93 pivoted at 94 on the sliding breech block [0 and restored in position by the spring 93*. In the recoil movement of the sliding breech block I0, the hook 93 extracts the cartridge case from the firing chamber of the firearm and pulls it until it has come in contact with the fixed ejector 31; the cartridge case is then projected, in the known manner, through the opening 95 of the sliding breech block ID.

The mechanism for. extracting and ejecting the cases of the cartridges which have been fired relates to the invention only as far as the ejector 75 3! is concerned, this ejector forming a part of the lock-carrier 4 above described,

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an automatic pistol having longitudinal guide-ways, a breech block adapted to slide on said guide-ways and a handle with a recess, a removable lock-unit, comprising a hammer, resilient means for actuating said hammer and means for engaging the hammer in cocked position, said unit being housed in said recess, a nose'on said handle forming a rear abutment for said unit and a seat provided in said handle for the lower end of the unit, means on the sliding breech block forming the sole means for fixedly retaining said unitin the handle recess.

2. In an automatic pistol having longitudinal guide-Ways, a breech block adapted to slide on said guide-ways and a handle with a recess, a removable lock-unit, comprising a hammer, resilient means for actuating said hammer and means for engaging the hammer in cocked position, said unit being housed in said recess, a nose on said handle forming a rear abutment for said unit and a seat provided in said handle for the lower end of the unit, the sliding breech block forming means for fixedly retaining said unit in the handle recess, guides provided in the upper part of the lock-unit and forming continuations to the guide-ways, the breech block gripping over the side faces of said guides of the lock-unit, thereby holding said lock-unit in 5 removable lock-unit, comprising a hammer, re- 10 silient means for actuating said hammer and means for engaging the hammer. in cocked position, said unit being housed in said recess, a nose on said handle forming a rear abutment for said unit and a seat provided in said handle 5 for the lower end of the unit, the sliding breech block forming means for fixedly retaining said unit in the handle recess, guides provided in the upper part of the lock-unit and forming continuations to the guide-ways, the breech block 2 0 gripping over the side faces of said guides of the lock-unit, thereby holding said lock-unit in transverse direction, a cartridge ejector on the upper part of the lock-unit adapted to enter a longitudinal slot provided in the breech block. 5

CHARLES GABRIEL PE'I'I'ER. 

